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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430228">Dance with the Devil</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosedarkling/pseuds/rosedarkling'>rosedarkling</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Deep-Sea Prisoner, Mogeko, Okegom, funamusea, 海底囚人, 海底囚人 | Deep-Sea Prisoner, 灰色庭園 | Haiiro Teien | The Gray Garden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ballroom Dancing, Dancing, Falling In Love, M/M, Wholesome, confused feelings, dance, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:48:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,451</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosedarkling/pseuds/rosedarkling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A single dance - that's all he had promised. A ruling devil should be poised, after all. Who better to instruct Ivlis in such mannerisms than another devil?  </p><p>A single dance - that should be simple enough....</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ivlis/Satanick (Gray Garden)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dance with the Devil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Valentine's Day, you sweet, loving people! To everyone that has ever stopped by to read a fic on here, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. &lt;3</p><p>Today is a special day, as I bring you the first true collab I have ever participated in! I'm very happy to have been part of this wonderful work. The true author behind this adorable idea is MoonPlata thanks to a cute little chat one evening on Discord with friends. &lt;3 </p><p>I will be updating this notes section very soon with links to the AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL art pieces that the lovely Moon and Yume Shirokuro have prepared for this special occasion. Be sure to come back soon to get the links and give ALLLLLL the love and support to these beautiful souls! &lt;3</p><p>Update! Here is the link to Yume's BEAUTIFUL piece! So atmospheric! I love! &lt;3 </p><p>https://twitter.com/YShirokuro/status/1360960224132218882</p><p>Update 2! Moon has done 3 manga/comic pages for this fic, too! Please go give her allllllllll the love as well! It's BEAUTIFUL! &lt;3 </p><p>https://twitter.com/Moonplatart/status/1360983975481790465</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was certainly not what Ivlis had in mind when Satanick had called him over!</p><p>Ivlis reluctantly had let out a huge sigh the instant he got Satanick’s message. The man was quite persistent even in these notes that he sent him. All it had mentioned was to make sure he came over at 16:00 hours sharp. Even with his flowery style of writing and penmanship, Satanick still had drawn a winking face in the bottom corner. Ivlis instinctually deepened his sigh upon seeing such a ridiculous mark, rolling his eyes. The man acted like such a child when he was clearly much older than any other being Ivlis had ever known. How could a man with that much power and affluence behave himself in such a manner?</p><p>Then again, Ivlis realized that he exactly was not one to talk, as he could feel himself sulking as his steps fumbled for the umpteenth time since arriving here. His muscles were still tensed up, and he found himself more annoyed than soothed by the classical music that the record was spinning on its turntable. What made it even worse was not only that the devil of Ne-no-Kuni had corralled him into such an activity – he purposefully had chosen this to become close to Ivlis! He had no solid proof of such a claim, yet the flame devil was almost certain his hypothesis would be proven true. Ivlis could immediately tell with how Satanick had reached out to him with this “clever idea.” He truly must have been in such a joyful mood to have agreed to Ivlis’s own demands – one dance, and that was it! With an eager affirmation, Satanick swept Ivlis away into the middle of the ballroom to positon him exactly where he desired to begin his training.</p><p>It was so embarrassing to be in such proximity to this man! Well, he supposed it could be worse; he <em>had</em> been much closer to him over the years, after all. To reminisce of such things only made the flame devil’s face burn as he tried to quench the reminding fires beginning to burn in his gut.</p><p><em>Stupid, stupid thoughts!</em> Ivlis reprimanded himself. Now was not the time for such things. He had to focus.</p><p>Anytime he was around this man, he found himself either embarrassed, humiliated, or a combination of the two. Yet here he was once again – and all the two had been doing so far was just dancing!</p><p>The squeak of his right boot slipping on the polished ballroom floor had Ivlis snapping free from these silly reveries. He could feel himself tripping over his feet, yet he did not fall; he merely stumbled over Satanick’s own black shoes and right into his waiting chest. Satanick chuckled as Ivlis pushed himself back up, his left hand positioned on Satanick’s right shoulder while the devil’s pale yet versatile fingers kept Ivlis’s clasped in his. A strange contrast their hands were with Ivlis’s being red and scaled. If it hadn’t been for the hold Satanick had on him, Ivlis knew he would have tumbled down. Honestly, he thought he would have preferred that – to be met with the cold, hard floor than feel Satanick so close to him. Being in such proximity only heightened the confusion in this awkward demon.</p><p>“Geez, Buri, you really haven’t ever been dancing, have you?” Satanick’s mocking remarks had Ivlis now meeting Satanick’s gaze to glare at him, his eyebrows knit together in agitation. Of course, such looks did not seem to bother the otherworldly ruler, as he further continued on. “It really was a marvelous idea to have you come over so I could teach you. You’re quite clumsy; the very definition of two left feet.” Even as he said these things with such a teasing tone in his voice, Satanick’s mouth and eyes possessed a softness in them as he gave Ivlis a gentle smile.</p><p>Ivlis wanted to retort back with a scathing remark, but such a look had him averting his eyes once more from Satanick; all he could do was stare daggers down at the floor in shame. He couldn’t quite explain this conglomeration of emotions that were roiling throughout his body, but he knew that his nerves were already becoming frayed from just a short amount of time. <em>Just endure this,</em> he told himself. Surely Satanick would get bored of this “lesson” if the student wasn’t willingly participating in it. Besides, he’d already put up with far worse from the likes of Satanick. This was simply another torture he’d just have to get through.</p><p>Nevertheless, the flame devil noted how he carefully followed along with Satanick’s movements after this reprimand. Every motion forward and back – side to side – wherever Satanick’s feet led, Ivlis followed as meticulously as he could. He would rather not trip again and end up once more in such a precarious position.</p><p>On and on, the melancholic yet joyful record droned on. For quite a while, Ivlis remained on-edge, unsure what to make of such an odd situation. Was this really all Satanick had called him here for? Surely there must be more – there was always more; why would today be any different? Ivlis could feel his heart pounding inside his chest as he anticipated what the next “best thing” was going to be. At least with past torture methods he could somewhat anticipate what was coming from the sign of certain tools. This was such a foreign strategy, to say the least.</p><p>However, as more time passed, Ivlis found himself strangely relaxing. A foolish move on his part, he realized, so he tried to remain vigilant. If something was going to happen, he wanted to face it head on. Nevertheless, the hypnotic motions of carefully moving in tiny circles around the middle of the ballroom made Ivlis’s rapid heartbeat peter out to a steadier one as it drummed in his chest. He couldn’t deny that the music was fairly soothing, and the repetitive movements did help his nervous mind. Monotony and the mundane could be quite pleasant. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to relax a bit more. Of course, this was Satanick he was dealing with; letting his guard down completely would be an idiotic idea.</p><p>Ivlis’s heart rate decreased as some of the nerves that had been twitching throughout his body were starting to settle down. For quite a while, the two continued to move in this hypnotizing array of steps called dancing. The flame demon deemed it best to keep his eyes down – one, to monitor what he was doing, and two, to avoid looking directly at Satanick. Watching his black boots meld together with this man’s dress shoes was starting to make him feel a bit motion-sick. Worried he was going to mess up his steps, Ivlis figured it might be best to look up. He did not exactly want to be jested at for being clumsy once more. The longer he looked down at the swirling pattern on the floor underneath their feet, the more he feared that would soon become a reality.</p><p>Blinking slowly, Ivlis finally raised his golden eyes, now more meeting the other devil’s gaze. Satanick was still staring at him…. He had been watching him this whole time, hadn’t he? Knowing this only gave Ivlis more anxiety. It was true that Satanick had been becoming more tender towards him ever since that supposed “love confession,” but to experience any amount of attention from this man was certainly nerve-wracking. Be that as it may, Ivlis simply stared right back at him. He tried to control his breathing to remain steady, though his accelerated heart palpitations made things a bit more difficult. Still, he kept his expression stoic, and he focused all his mental capacity on moving his legs wherever Satanick led him.</p><p>He wasn’t quite sure when he had started staring at Satanick, but the slight burning of his eyes told him that it had been long enough since he had even blinked. Finally managing to do so, he noticed that the room had gone completely silent – eerily still without that melancholic piano playing on that record. Ivlis managed to pry his eyes away from Satanick. Surely it was the appropriate time to leave. The music was over; the dance had ceased. There was no reason for him to stay any longer than he had to.</p><p>The familiar static and grinding of the record beginning to spin on its track alerted Ivlis that the same familiar tune had started up once more. Despite wanting to avert his gaze, Ivlis once more found himself looking up into Satanick’s face. The man had slid his hand off of Ivlis’s waist, having his hand raised up as he snapped his fingers. Of course he was the culprit behind the music starting all over again. Well, that didn’t matter; Ivlis had only promised one song to dance to, and that was all he wanted to keep.</p><p>Even with his right hand still enclosed in Satanick’s, Ivlis used his left palm to push against the tall man’s frame, putting some distance between them. The familiar sensation of Satanick’s arm snaking its way back around his waist had Ivlis straightening up once more as shivers flooded him. With Satanick’s hand positioned perfectly on Ivlis’s right hip, he pulled him close so that their chests were touching. Much too close for Ivlis’s liking, he arched his back slightly as he tried to pull away. However, his limbs began to feel a bit more weakened, and even he realized he was not using as much force as he should be if he truly desired to be released.</p><p>Opening his mouth to remind Satanick about the deal they had, his words died in his mouth when he now felt the warm fingers that had been holding his right hand now touching his chin. A light breath hitched in Ivlis’s throat feeling Satanick gently pinch his chin between his thumb and forefinger, and it died completely when his eyes met those deep amethyst eyes. Those dark depths that usually shined in mischief looked upon Ivlis’s large eyes with such intensity that the flame devil could not tear his gaze away. Was this what it felt like to be hypnotized? No such thing had ever occurred to him, but he felt genuinely spellbound and frozen as Satanick stared at him. What was going on inside that head of his? Ivlis could not help but ponder. Part of him questioned what even he was thinking as he drowned in that abyss.</p><p>Thankfully, he did not have to wonder for long, as Satanick whispered out, “Let’s keep going for a little while longer, Buri. Only this time, we’ll go a bit slower.” A soft flick of his thumb across Ivlis’s chin, the devil lowered his hand to now place it upon Ivlis’s right shoulder, a small smile on his lips. “Sound good?”</p><p>Hoping to hide his body’s shudder at Satanick’s touch – both of his hands were now holding him a little too intimately – Ivlis lowered his chin, muttering out, “You’re pathetic.” All that earned him was Satanick’s light chuckle as the devil lord began to delicately drift back on his feet. Ivlis obediently followed along.</p><p>Round and round, sway by sway, the two devils traversed the center of the room in slow, precise motions. At least he honored his own words, Ivlis thought – things were proceeding much smoother this time around thanks to the shift in speed. This time around, Ivlis decided to focus his gaze on Satanick’s collarbone. At least a somewhat steady object could allow him to process this keeling motion a bit more easily. He was not exactly interested in what he was seeing, but he could not help but notice how perfect this man’s black tie was knotted. Even his suit jacket and dress shirt had nary any wrinkle on them. Why this mattered was beyond Ivlis’s scope of comprehension at the moment, but it was clear that this devil was quite taken care of.</p><p><em>Why am I even thinking about such a thing? </em>Ivlis questioned himself. However, he could not formulate an appropriate response. However, the more he mindlessly stared down at Satanick, he found his eyes drifting down yet again, though this time, he decided against looking directly once more at their feet. This left him with the opportunity to see that Satanick’s chest was rising and falling in normal breaths, though it appeared that it was a bit faster than usual. Was he also nervous?</p><p>Satanick – nervous? The idea was almost laughable. Why would he – the “magnificent” Satanick – be even remotely anxious? Ivlis could feel a slight smile curve the left corner of his mouth upwards into a little bit of a smirk imagining that such a man could ever have such an emotion.</p><p>Curiosity getting the belter of him, Ivlis shifted his eyes slightly upwards to peek at Satanick’s face; one could see someone’s true feelings through their expressions, after all. Now, all that Ivlis felt was his own anxiety returning when he noticed the true look on the devil’s face. Satanick was no longer watching him; in fact, his face was turned towards the right, averting his eyes from Ivlis. Even more noticeable was the light pink across Satanick’s cheeks.  </p><p>Was – Was this man seriously blushing?!</p><p>Ivlis found himself quickly lowering his own gaze as his heart pounded against his ribcage. Just what was this? Satanick was blushing? From what? Surely it couldn’t be from this stupid dance with him! Ivlis’s mind screamed that such a thing would be ludicrous to have such an emotion at a time like this, yet his own face was beginning to feel strangely warm as his head became fuzzy. The jittery twitches in his own bloodstream must surely be getting to him.</p><p>Ivlis dare not utter a single word about this. The smirk that had graced his face earlier now waned as he tried to keep his composure. It appeared that Satanick had not noticed himself being watched, which gave Ivlis a bit of relief; he could only imagine what Satanick would say at a time like this had he caught on that he had seen him in such a state. That thought alone was enough to give the flame devil pause as he felt his own cheeks growing hot. Thinking it best not dwell on this any further – it didn’t mean anything, after all – Ivlis lowered his chin and his eyes.</p><p>On and on, the droning melody continued. With these slower movements, Ivlis could not help but feel the urge to rest. It was not that his legs were tired, yet the docile notes were almost lulling him to a sense of relaxation. It also did not aide him in the least that his head and face felt feverish. Ivlis blamed himself for allowing such distracting, niggling thoughts infect his brain to become so hot and heavy. He debated about asking Satanick to stop – that perhaps the man would allow him to finally return home and rest – but he knew that such a thing would be like asking for a miracle. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he believed in such things anymore….</p><p>Ivlis could feel his head lowering on its own, and before he realized what he was doing, he was resting his head on Satanick. Ivlis was slightly shorter than Satanick, yet not by much; still, this left him in the perfect spot to rest his left temple along Satanick’s’ clavicle. He felt his face flush a bit at this – allowing himself to rest on this man of all people! – yet in a way he found it… soothing. Something familiar was hard to grasp onto in the flame devil’s life, so even this stability would help provide him some relief even in his discomfited state. In many ways, Ivlis found himself ever so slowly relaxing in this repetitive dance. The pounding of Satanick’s heart could be heard as it steadily thumped against his chest. Was it just him, or did it sound even louder now?</p><p><em>Well, whatever</em>, Ivlis thought, letting out a steady breath through his nose that one might consider a sigh.</p><p>Back and forth…. Side to side….</p><p>His eyes were open as to hopefully concentrate on the movements and not cause another mishap, yet they widened when Ivlis felt Satanick resting his own head on top of his. It was a bit awkward with both of their horns now colliding, yet Ivlis could feel the warmth spreading through him. His senses felt a bit more muted than before, and he was almost thankful for this little wake up call. Back in reality, Ivlis realized the music had stopped, yet the two were still steadily moving around. All that could be heard was the drone of the record as it silently spun on its turntable. Well, the sound of that, thumping hearts, and blood running through veins.</p><p>Tempted to cease, Ivlis’s hand twitched in Satanick’s, a reflex of wanting to pull away. However, he found himself not following through. Instead, all he could hear now was Satanick’s voice resonating through both his head and his chest as the man whispered out, “I wouldn’t mind if this moment was eternal.” A breathy sigh of sorts escaped his lips, ruffling a bit of Ivlis’s hair.</p><p>Naturally, Ivlis wanted to shudder at this, yet once more, he found himself dazed in the warmth while trapped in Satanick’s embrace. Still, he found himself able to respond. “What a corny line,” he snorted out, his voice a little exasperated. Despite that, the devil did not slip away from the other.</p><p>Unbeknownst to even him, the corners of Ivlis’s mouth curled up into a tiny smile.</p><p>A laugh rumbled in Satanick’s chest, yet it came out so soft like that of the music that no longer played through the chamber. “But it’s true, you know, Buri-chan.” This did not ease the younger devil’s predicament, as that heady warmth spread down his spine and into his already weak legs.</p><p>Satanick continued on. “<em>My</em> Buri-chan.”</p><p>What could he say in response to such a thing? Satanick was possessive – the true definition of a ruler that lacked for naught – but Ivlis was not some piece of property to be claimed! Think that he might, yet the devil did not protest. If anything, the feeling that flooded him was quite….</p><p>Feeling Satanick’s head lift from his, Satanick looked down at the top of the dark-haired man in his arms, a teasing smile across his lips. “But you know, you are really are so clumsy on these feet. I could teach you for thousand years, and you’d still need assistance. Private lessons, of course.” He could feel Ivlis’s body tense up slightly, and the man could not help but laugh. Yes… this was the typical reaction he loved from his dear Buri.</p><p>Ivlis caught himself as he opened his mouth. He would retort against such teasing, but this time, he realized that what was in his throat was no comeback, but rather a chuckle. Clamping his mouth closed again, Ivlis found himself gazing out around the room, trying to regain his bearings. He was going delirious; that’s all this was. Perhaps after all this time, he really was losing his mind.</p><p>Was insanity supposed to feel this ethereal?</p><p>A tingling sensation traveled across his scalp when he felt Satanick remove his arm off of his waist to momentarily lift some of Ivlis’s long strands of hair. He shuddered a bit as he felt Satanick sniff at the red tips. The man exhaled softly, and Ivlis could swear the banging of his own heart began to synchronize with what he could hear of Satanick’s. After only a few moments, Satanick let Ivlis’s strands slip through his fingers to gently fall back into place.</p><p>How much time had truly passed? Ivlis could not be sure. It felt as if this dance had been going on forever. Even amidst the silence, notes that had long since faded reverberated in his mind. Perhaps he was just dreaming; everything did feel as if he was floating on some sort of cloud. Why did it feel as if this visit was eternal yet fleeting?</p><p>Right now, Ivlis did not have the mental fortitude to question things any further. All he could do – no, all he wanted in this moment – was to simply be still and settle his entire being.</p><p>A sudden rhythmic knocking jolted each of the devils from their own reveries. Ivlis jumped slightly at this, and he could feel Satanick had as well. Still, the devil lord did not give any indication that he was going to release Ivlis as both of their heads swiveled to the large double doors of the ballroom. Grateful that they were closed from prying eyes, Ivlis let out a deep sigh as he caught his breath from this unexpected shock.</p><p>A stoic voice called out through the thick wood, “Lord Devil, there is someone here to speak with you.” The way this man sounded gave Ivlis the impression that he was quite diligent in his duties while also slightly annoyed. Not that he cared who this man was or what his moods were; it was a simple deduction.</p><p>Be that as it may, Satanick let out an annoyed huff. Ivlis turned to look back up at him to see the man’s gaze locked onto the entrance, a somewhat perturbed look on his face. His eyes were slightly narrowed yet questioning. Had Satanick been expecting this guest? Even if he had been, he seemed quite agitated at this sudden interruption. “Dammit,” Satanick sighed out. His chest heaved with his heavy exhalation.</p><p>Feeling this, Ivlis realized just how close the two of them had been. As some of the heavy clouds began to lift from his brain, Ivlis was finally able to conjure up the ability to move back from Satanick. The man’s hands easily slipped from him, much to Ivlis’s surprise. Typically when Satanick had him in his grasp, it was always quite the chore to be freed. However, the devil’s interrupting companion seemed to have caught his attention elsewhere for the time being. As the delirium continued to dissipate from Ivlis’s mind, he took notice of the somewhat small frown on the corners of Satanick’s lips and the creases near his eyes. Just what was this man thinking? Was he that disappointed that he had been disturbed?</p><p>“Yes, Envi. Give me a moment,” Satanick called back to the man on the other side of the door, his voice echoing throughout the large room. The only sound of confirmation that could be heard that the demon outside had gotten the message was the clacking of dress shoes as he left, supposedly back to the guest, or so Ivlis assumed.</p><p>Right now, all he could do was watch Satanick as his befuddled mind tried to piece together what he was actually seeing. Just what… was all of this? Satanick was the most insufferable man he had ever met in his existence, yet here he was showing a more vulnerable and almost humane part of himself.</p><p>
  <em>“Ivlis, I love you.” </em>
</p><p>Those words from long ago echoed in Ivlis’s mind. All he could do was stand stock still as he tried to determine why Satanick’s “confession” would be brought to light. <em>Now of all the times?!</em> the annoyed flame devil thought to himself.</p><p>Nevertheless, it gave him pause as flitting thoughts drifted across the forefront of his mind.</p><p>Was it possible… that Satanick really was…?</p><p>“Buri-chan, I’m afraid it looks like we will have to continue our lessons later,” Satanick sighed out, placing his right hand on his hip as he focused his attention back to his pupil. His carefree stance had gotten Ivlis’s attention, so he continued. With a conniving smile now across his mouth, Satanick said, “It seems you enjoyed my teaching, right? No need to say anything; I can tell just by the look on your face.” His amethyst eyes traveled up and down the man’s body while Ivlis stood completely frozen in place. “You clearly still have a lot to learn, so more classes will need to be given. Plus, your blush makes it incredibly obvious that you enjoyed my closeness. It’s only natural that you would.”</p><p>There!</p><p>There it was again!</p><p>That teasing, mocking attitude that was typical of this demon!</p><p>Unsure what he had even been considering, Ivlis’s own eyes narrowed a bit as his expression turned to one of exasperation. He tore his gaze away from that sly grin, looking off towards his right. Those large doors would help him exit this place. It was foolish of him to even think that this man could possibly be changing in any sense of the word!</p><p>“But….”</p><p>Satanick’s delay gave Ivlis pause in his continued, annoyed state. Anytime this man stopped mid-conversation, he would always be there to halt whatever emotion Ivlis was currently experiencing to replace it with a new one – usually pain, regret, and further bewilderment. The latter was what began to consume him even further as Ivlis saw Satanick offering him what could only be described as a soft smile. Ivlis could feel his own expression softening as his tightened jaw began to relax. Truly, what was going through that man’s head?! Ivlis knew that no answer would be given to him to satisfy that never-ending question.</p><p>“I enjoyed every second with you.”</p><p>Warm.</p><p>Everything felt so… warm.</p><p>Just why was his stomach feeling heated now?! The flame devil pondered if he’d ever get an answer to his own problems. Perhaps being born of flame really did leave him with these heat disadvantages.</p><p>That must surely be the case; nothing more, nothing less.</p><p>Sheepishly, Ivlis stuttered out, “W – Whatever. I’m not good at this anyway. I don’t want to continue.” He tried to keep his voice as level and bland as possible.</p><p>“That’s why I said you need a lot of practice, Buri!” Satanick proudly declared, giving a robust laugh. “You’ll never get better with an attitude like that.”</p><p>Flicking his tongue off the back of his teeth, Ivlis tried to quell the growing fire in his gut in typical fashion. “Tch! Again with those corny lines of yours? I don’t need any help.”</p><p>Removing his hand off of his hip and waving it through the air, Satanick brushed off Ivlis’s words like a passing comment. “Nonsense. That’s what you have me for, Buri.”</p><p>“Not real –.” Ivlis stopped midsentence when he noticed that Satanick’s right hand was gently gripping his chin between his thumb and forefinger. When had he gotten so close again?! His breath hitched in his throat before he knew what was happening. All at once, Satanick’s violet eyes were approaching his, and his light, perfumed scent invaded his nostrils. Everything seemed to move gradually yet hurriedly as Satanick’s soft lips pressed against his own.   </p><p>Ivlis’s golden eyes enlarged as a rush of emotions began to flood him. Agitation was the first one as he became exasperated that this man was shutting him up with a kiss. He always did this whenever it suited his personal agenda! Ivlis could feel the heat rising once more to his face and the tips of his hair as he naturally wanted to react. He tried to summon the courage to push back against Satanick, yet the muscles in his arms would not allow them to rise. They certainly twitched, but he could not get them to obey. As he tried to conjure up excuses on why, he could not help but mumble out behind the devil lord’s mouth. Satanick’s eyes seemed to glow with mischief as his pupils bore into Ivlis’s, soon fading behind the veil of his eyelids.</p><p>Ivlis’s eyes soon followed suit as he let out a light moan in the back of his throat. That familiar warmth was enveloping him. It was from anger; that’s all! Excuse after excuse rambled around inside Ivlis’ brain, but even he knew with his lack of resistance that Satanick’s methods always worked the way he wanted them to. His protests were fading away, and the fiery orange of his hair tips began to fade to a steady gleam. Satanick’s lips were gentle yet powerful. He was able to work his tongue into Ivlis’s mouth, and the flame demon obediently followed along. Back and forth, back and forth – their tongues slid together in a dance of their own in each other’s mouth.  </p><p><em>Really!</em> Ivlis loudly thought to an oblivious Satanick. <em>You really are insufferable!   </em></p><p>To his surprise, Satanick was the first to pull back from Ivlis. Desperately, his mouth craved to remain right where it was. Even as his lips parted from Ivlis, he found himself lingering right on the precipice of detaching. If he could, he would keep this going for as long as possible. Both body and mind begged him to remain right where he was, but he knew the longer he kept delaying the inevitable, it would only be harder. Parting really was such sweet sorrow.</p><p>Releasing Ivlis’s chin from his steady grip, Satanick trailed his fingers across Ivlis’s smooth skin, cradling his right cheek in his palm. He could feel the heat radiating off of this man, and that only made his cravings that much more difficult to ignore. Still, he refrained, offering Ivlis an alternative to this abrupt ending. Those honey-filled eyes were focused on him once more. A smile on his lips, Satanick whispered out, “Tomorrow at 16:00 hours. Don’t be late, or I’ll come find you.” He watched as a tiny spark flickered in Ivlis’s eyes before once more moving in for a quick peck on the lips. The rational part of his mind warned him what a poor decision that had been, yet he did not mind. He was the magnificent Satanick, after all; he liked to reckon he had some semblance of self-control.</p><p>Finally pulling back, Satanick slipped away from the stunned flame devil. A large smile was plastered on his face as he walked away, humming that oh-so-familiar tune that had permeated the air earlier. A smile might have been displayed, yet his heart was fluttering as if trying to fly back towards the clearly humiliated man. Now at the large double doors, his hands on the handles, Satanick looked back over his shoulder, this time displaying a cheekier grin that was more his forte. “We’ll be sure to dance from the bed next time, too, Ivlis.” He could practically see Ivlis’s hair stand on end at this remark, his pink cheeks becoming an even darker hue. Satanick let out a hearty laugh before pulling the doors open to slip through.</p><p>How he would cherish that look as he went to meet his nightly obligation.</p><p>The sound of Satanick’s fading laugh blended together with that of the large doors as they closed with a somewhat heavy <em>thunk</em>, leaving Ivlis by his lonesome in the echo. His lips were parted, a shout in his throat prepared to yell out after the man to not come back – even though this was clearly not his place to make such a statement. Silence only followed his unvoiced opinion. All Ivlis could do was stare at the wall of doors that now hid Satanick from his view, traces of the melody and dance still traveling through his being. A strange, ephemeral feeling to be sure.</p><p>Raising his right claw to his chest, Ivlis clutched at his typical military-style coat in hopes to calm himself down. He was grateful that he had not worn his overcoat and scarf if he was already this warm! Perhaps he would not wear them tomorrow either.</p><p><em>You’d be an idiot to return here!</em> Ivlis scolded himself. Yes; he’d truly be his own worst enemy if he were to willingly come back.</p><p>Taking a deep breath in through his nostrils to fill his lungs, Ivlis closed his eyes as he prepared to leave this familiar castle for the umpteenth time in his life. As he allowed his flames to consume him to return home, his senses were once more invaded with Satanick.</p><p>He could still see those phlox-colored irises.</p><p>He could still smell that man’s scent.</p><p>He could feel his hands on his flesh.</p><p>He could still taste Satanick’s tongue in his mouth.</p><p>He could still hear his voice calling him by his real name instead of those other insensitivities.  </p><p>As the flames licked around his body, Ivlis barely registered another little voice that chirped inside his brain. He did what he could to stifle it as it whispered out for him to make sure he rested well for tomorrow’s evening lesson.</p>
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